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Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2000, the population is 17,609. The county has two county seats, Piggott and Corning. It is a dry county.
History
When Clay County was created in 1873, it was named Clayton County. Though the name was shortened two years later by the Arkansas State legislature, the designation of John M. Clayton as the person for whom the county was named was not changed.
The first county seat was Corning, established in 1873, with the arrival of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway, as the first incorporated town in the county. The county seat was moved to Boydsville in 1877, though, because people living east of the Black and Cache Rivers had difficulty getting to Corning during flood season. This caused trouble for those living west of the rivers, however, and in 1881 Corning was re-established as the seat of the Western District, with Boydsville remaining the seat of the Eastern District. Upon the arrival of the St. Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railroad in 1882, other towns such as Greenway, Rector and Piggott experienced growth. In 1887, the Eastern District seat was moved to Piggott.
The dual county seat sytem remains in place today. Important county functions (such as the Quorum Court) alternate between Piggott and Corning as their venues.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,661 km² (641 mi²). 1,656 km² (639 mi²) of it is land and 5 km² (2 mi²) of it (0.33%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Butler County, Missouri (north)
- Dunklin County, Missouri (east)
- Greene County (south)
- Randolph County (west)
- Ripley County, Missouri (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 17,609 people, 7,417 households, and 5,073 families residing in the county. The population density was 11/km² (28/mi²). There were 8,498 housing units at an average density of 5/km² (13/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.08% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,417 households out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.10% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 19.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,345, and the median income for a family was $32,558. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $17,146 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,512. About 13.40% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.20% of those under age 18 and 22.70% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
"Clay County, Arkansas"